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The Verge of Extinction Over the past few thousand years we have looked outwards in an attempt to understand and tame the world we live in, yet for the most part we have avoided looking into the nature of being human. We are the only species capable of breaking the bonds of karma and creating the life we desire, but unfortunately the emphasis is on external control instead of self-knowledge and responsibility.
Should this concern you? If you pay any attention to the news, you'll hear the stories about global warming and the decline and even extinction of some species. On one side we have experts arguing that global warming is a fantasy and on the other side of the argument, our climate is becoming more volatile and the oceans are rising; facts which cannot be disputed. In every country there are species of insects, reptiles and birds and animals that are already extinct meaning that they no longer exist. Yet we live in a biosphere where every organism is mutually dependent on all the other organisms in the surrounding environment. The extinction of many species is seen by the powers that be in the world to be of no consequence, but when we look at the larger picture we can see that many fish species that we have relied on for thousands of years have become almost extinct to the point that many fisheries have been forced to close. But it is our rapid population growth and takeover of the land to grow crops and feed ourselves that is pushing land dwelling life forms into extinction. It is well-known that palm oil production is decimating forests of Southeast Asia and countries like New Zealand only retain a fraction of original forest cover. But what about humans? Could we ever become extinct? If we are logical in looking at this question, we can see the level of pollution and environmental destruction that we have caused which includes the extinction of the great many other species. However like all the other species that exist will have once existed, we are dependent on this planet for our survival. Even though scientists are exploring, there is no other planet that we can move to when we finish destroying this one. In the past few thousand years, the human population has increased from a few millions into the billions. In another 20 to 30 years and if we don't do something about it, our population could almost double again and it is expected to reach 9 billion before 2030. What few people realise is that when a population reaches this point, everyone of us will have two make do with 40% less of everything. That means less food, less water and less air to breathe. And upper activities continue to destroy the planetary environment that we rely on for our existence, if we don't become extinct then there is a real possibility of a massive drop in population. People don't like talking about this because it is in the "too hard" basket, but it is something that everyone of us needs to consider. On the other hand the terrorism that the administration of United States of America is imposing on the world to keep its economy afloat may well solve this problem for the planet. Capitalism has no concern for anything except profits and short-term pleasure. Today's capitalism is underpinned by American-style democracy and backed up by military muscle and police forces loyal to the corporations that rule over us. We cannot say whether or not George Orwell had a premonition of the future when he wrote his famous book; 1984. Another effect that capitalism has on population is the migration of wealth from the poorest to the richest and along with their wealth goes human rights. Everything in this world is being monetised, corporations like Nestlé want to privatise the entire worlds water supply which would mean that if they did that, they would actually control people's right to life itself. Given today's war in the Middle East and the flight and plight of many millions of refugees along with the enslavement of the more affluent middle classes and disempowerment and disenfranchisement of everyone else, the governing elite probably feel very secure in their ivory towers. It remains to be seen if they will initiate a full-scale world war or whether they will sit back and watch the unfolding tragedy while they continue to make profits on everyone else's misery. Is this depressing? Damn right it's depressing, but is bad as it sounds we still have an opportunity to turn things around. If everyone was to exercise their social responsibility and begin to make changes as indicated by Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour Party leader in the UK. This needs to happen in every country so that the administration of countries serves the needs of the people rather than the aristocrats. It is from that position that we would then be able to address our ecological problems and human overpopulation. We may be on the verge of extinction however in the past few years we have been producing enough food to feed 18 billion people, the problem is this food is being improperly distributed and much of it is going to waste is all around the world people starve to death. Personal salvation The difficulty in exercising our social responsibility is that we have been disempowered, lied to and confused for so long that we scarcely know which way is up anymore. Our modern education compounded by the toxins in our modern diet leave our brains and bodies incapable of being fulfilled. How ever we can reverse this by looking inwards and following a path of yoga, a path to self-knowledge or self realisation. This has been taught by all mystics and spiritual masters. It was taught by Jesus but camouflaged by religion so few people notice. We have two choices, remain asleep and suffer annihilation which will come after a great deal more suffering or, we can wake up and learn to respond appropriately to life. In the first place we have to remember that we are a piece of life and our life is not a commodity to be traded. Life is something to be experienced and celebrated, and when this happens every day becomes joyful. When we are joyful we will fix anything that impedes that joyfulness which means we will be more helpful to ease the suffering of others. We will become more self-reliant and competent human beings, and by coming empowered we will be able to create a more sustainable existence on this planet. In terms of yoga, you can follow great teachers like Sadhguru in this video. You can follow the teachings of the Buddha or any other realised master or mistress because enlightenment is an equal opportunity for everyone regardless of gender, race or social position. The choice is yours, do you want to live to know peace, joy and even bliss? Peace is the foundation but there is no way you or I can straight away create world peace. The path is first to become more peaceful and joyful so that influence upon others is genuine. In the video to your right, Sadhguru introduces yoga and its relevance in the modern world. His speech begins nine minutes into the video. Sadhguru is a modern yogi, a self realised man who offers guidance to many millions of people. He is highly respected in academic and scientific circles, and he is most eloquent at clarifying the facts of life and the need for personal transformation in order for the salvation of humanity from its current brink of extinction. Try A Free Guided Meditation by Sadhguru at http://www.ishafoundation.org/Ishakriya Today we have the knowledge and technology to resolve all the world's problems and to ensure our continued survival, but do we have the will? |
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